Dyslexia and Learning to Read Newsletter

Please sign up for my monthly newsletter by completing the 'Follow by Email' on the left. Then click submit. You will receive information about Irlen Syndrome and learning to read.
Cheers
Christine

Helen Irlen - Irlen Syndrome and Visual Perception

I recently wrote to Helen Irlen, the founder of the Irlen Method and pioneer in the field of visual perception . I would like to thank Helen for including my email and a link to my blog in the latest Irlen International Newsletter. Please visit her website at
http://irlen.com/index.php

Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome - Using Coloured Overlays to Help Struggling Readers

I have been working with a struggling reader on the Reading Recovery Program for 7 weeks. She is not making accelerative progress and I have great concerns about her progress. I did not administer a 'screening' as I feel she is too young at this stage. Instead, I just put different coloured overlays over the text while she was reading and asked her which colour made it more comfortable for her eyes when she was reading. Already I have noticed improvements in reading accuracy which I have not noticed for 7 weeks! Let me keep you posted, as I'm sure that in 2 weeks she will be making great gains with her reading ability. I will try and record the reading with and without overlays so you can see for yourself.
Cheers
Christine

Dyslexia - Famous People with Dyslexia

Wikipedia defines Dyslexia as "a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and spell,^[1] and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, and/or rapid naming.^["

Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome: Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome - What is Irlen Syndro...

Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome: Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome - What is Irlen Syndro...: "Dyslexia is when individuals have difficulty reading words. Irlen Syndrome is a visual perception disorder. This means that some individuals..."

Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome - What is Irlen Syndrome?

Dyslexia is when individuals have difficulty reading words. Irlen Syndrome is a visual perception disorder. This means that some individuals have great difficulty reading words on a page because the words are moving around. They think that a word moving around while they read is normal because they are not aware of the alternative.
In the adults and children I have screened for Irlen Syndrome, they can’t believe the difference when I put the coloured overlays onto the page. The reading behaviour changes immediately from word by word reading, to phrased and fluent reading.
If you would like an appointment for an Irlen Screening in Australia, please visit the website below.

http://www.dyslexiaservices.com.au/

Irlen Syndrome: Irlen Syndrome and Learning to Read Newsletter

Irlen Syndrome: Irlen Syndrome and Learning to Read Newsletter: "Please sign up for my monthly newsletter by completing the 'Follow by Email' on the left. Then click submit. You will receive information ab..."

Irlen Syndrome and Learning to Read Newsletter

Please sign up for my monthly newsletter by completing the 'Follow by Email' on the left. Then click submit. You will receive information about Irlen Syndrome and learning to read.
Cheers
Christine

Dyslexia - Does My Child Have it? The Signs to Look For

Dyslexia- Does my child have it? What sort of things should I be looking for in my child? How do I know if my child may be Dyslexic? Watch the following video for more information:

Brain Injury and Learning Difficulties

The statistics show that 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. And it is children aged between 0 to 4 years and older adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, that are among the groups most likely to sustain a TBI. And because children’s brains are still developing, the toll of a brain injury on a child can sometimes be quite serious.

So how do you know if your child has concussion? You need to watch out for the following symptoms.

• Tiredness or listlessness
• Headache
• Irritability or crankiness
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Changes in the way the child plays or performs at school
• Lack of interest in favorite toys or activities
• Loss of new skills, such as toilet training
• Loss of balance or unsteady walking
• Vomiting

If you child has had a fall and you recognise these symptoms, a quick response can aid their recovery and prevent further brain damage.

Using technology to Help Struggling Readers and Writers

Using technology to read books is the way of the future. It is particularly helpful for struggling readers. Schools are now embracing the digital revolution with laptops, cameras, ipads etc. Students have access to these learning tools within their classrooms. 

One of my students  finds it very difficult to write stories. He is unmotivated and he just finds the physical side of holding a pencil and forming the letters very difficult. But when he used the keyboard, he was fully engaged and motivated to write! Using technology in schools is definitely the way of the future.

A customer recently submitted this product review.

"Weight. Seriously. The minimal weight of this thing is by far the most impressive feature about it in my opinion. It seems to defy physics and logic that so much could be in such a small space working that hard for that long.

Battery Life. From full to dead my iPad 2 went just over 11 hours with the movie Robin Hood showing twice during that time, the screen at half brightness, wifi turned on, an Angry Birds marathon and a good portion of a book in ibook. That's better than a work day and that's constantly on.

Books. This is definitely a Pro, but reading itself could go either way. The great benefit to the iPad is having access to Google Books, ibook, Nook, and Kindle. This allows for some comparison shopping and price competition (although for the most part they're all usually about the same). Reading in the evenings in bed is great as the back light means you don't have to worry about keeping others awake, but the glass screen causes some glare trouble when trying to read outside or near a sunny window. If you're an avid outdoor reader the Kindle might still be your best bet.

If you're in the market for a tablet device the iPad 2 should definitely be on your short list. If you're uncertain it is always best to go and play with these things hands on first if you can. Best Buy is a good place for that, so are Verizon Stores since they have the Xoom and 3G iPad. Don't get pulled into the hype and mania that comes with an Apple release. They're exciting and new, and they're impressive enough to warrant some excitement, but it will die down and there will be other products that prove a strong competitor to the iPad 2. If you're looking for right now though, this is probably your best bet. I gave the device 4 stars, as I did the iPad 1. I did this in contemplation of the features offered by competitors that are absent from the iPad, most notably the requirement for adapters for USB/SD/HDMI. While these features are there, they aren't as convenient as in other tablets."

 Let me know what you think.

 

Dyslexia- What does it look like?

Irlen Screeners are trained to assess whether a person is likely to be helped by Irlen technology

Christine is an accredited Irlen screener. This means she can administer the assessments required to screen for Irlen Syndrome. Irlen Screeners are trained to assess whether a person is likely to be helped by Irlen technology. Screeners assess questionnaires and also monitor performance on a series of standardised tasks. Using coloured overlays, the Screener will attempt to demonstrate possible benefits.

If there is a benefit, the Screener will then refer you to an Irlen Centre for a full assessment. Screening documentation is available for the consultation. The cost is $77 and will be deducted from the Centre's charges if you proceed to that next step. 

If you would like to book an appointment with Christine, or would like more information, please contact Christine via the website below. (Appointments can be made if you live in the Melbourne area).Thank you and I hope to speak with you soon.
Cheers,
Christine


http://www.dyslexiaservices.com.au/screenervic.htm

This clip on YouTube is fantastic! It explains in a clear way what Irlen Syndrome is and what it would look like for an individual with Irlen Syndrome.
Please leave your comments, I would love to hear from you.
Cheers,
Christine

Dragon Naturally Speaking

The product here, 'Dragon Speak' is fantastic. We have this product in my school where I work, and it helps the students that have difficulty writing stories. The speech-to-text software enables students to dictate their stories and command the computer with their voice.

Can you imagine what it is like to have the letters moving on a page?

What is it like to have the letters moving on a page? I'm currently working with a student that is having difficulty reading. As I begin to explore and ask her questions about what is making it hard for her to read, she actually said the words on the page are moving. She has particular trouble with two letter words such as 'is' and 'in'-especially if they follow each other in a line. When I asked her about this, she said she looks at the 'i' in the word 'is' and this makes it difficult to read the next word which is 'in' and she starts reading the final letter 'n'.
The product here, 'Dragon Speak' is fantastic. We have this product in my school where I work, and it helps the students that have difficulty writing stories. The speech-to-text software enables students to dictate their stories and command the computer with their voice.
Also, take a look at the next YouTube clip about Dyslexia. It gives you some idea what it might be like to see words moving around on the page.

International Combat Stress Conference Presentation: Unseen Effects of Blast Injuries and Irlen Spectral Filters as a Treatment

As you may be aware, I subscribe to the Irlen newsletter. This is one of the latest stories taken from the newsletter.

International Combat Stress Conference Presentation:  Unseen Effects of Blast Injuries and Irlen Spectral Filters as a Treatment

A presentation on “The Unseen Effects of Blast Injuries” was made at the 19^th Annual International Combat Stress Conference by neuropsychologist Roxanna Farinpour.  She has examined those Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with a history of TBI and head injuries from blast exposure resulting in Headache Syndrome.  Over 50-60% of Vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan exposed to blasts sustained a brain injury.  Of the 978 Marines Dr. Farinpour has seen, 98% reported headaches with 85% classified as possible or definite migraines which interfered with daily activities.  Of the 20 plus Marines with headaches and/or migraines and have not responded to medication, all received immediate and complete relief with their Irlen Spectral Filters.  They were having headaches 100% of the time; and with their Irlen Spectral Filters, no longer have any headaches.  They were having an average of 19 migraines a month; and with their Irlen Spectral Filters, report that they no longer have migraines.

Thank you to the Irlen International Headquarters.

I would be interested in your thoughts or comments.

Cheers

Christine

Faceblindness- Prosopagnosia

I was having a look for clips on Youtube and came across this fascinating subject called faceblindness or
Prosopagnosia. This is a condition that some people experience. They have difficulty seeing the whole face
as a whole, instead they see parts of the face and recognise features. They see the face and can see it's made up of different objects, but have trouble recognising the face as unique. Very interesting stuff!

Tinted Lenses and Autism- can they help?

Do coloured lenses help people with Autism? Have a look at one persons reflection below and see for yourself.
http://youtu.be/w7lZ0UIFX9Q

Irlen Syndrome abc4 news

Here is a great Youtube video about Irlen Syndrome. Let me know what you think.

http://youtu.be/pyyLW7gsfjQ